All the players are gathering to RCS in Thailand for the 2008 EP Track World Champs.  With on-track action just a couple of days away, all is in readiness.  Action begins with the 12th scale event, followed from the middle of next week by the 10th touring class.  Read on for tips, news and links to coverage elsewhere….
The usual standout contendors are all in attendance in what should be a tightly fought content.  Masami Hirosaka (Yokomo) is the sentimental favourite for many (including me!) as this legend of RC endeavours to complete the full set of EP world championships and an unbelievable 15th WC crown.  His biggest challenge may come in the form of fellow Japanese Pilot Atsushi Hara (Hotbodies) who fresh from his 8th buggy WC win recently has spent weeks trackside and has the fastest practice times to date.  Other possible winners? Let’s start with names like Mark Rheinard (Tamiya & past champ), Paul Lemieux (XRay), Viktor Wilk (Tamiya), Jilles Groskamp (Tamiya), Ronald Volker (HB), Andy Moore (HB & defending champ), Alexander Hagberg (XRay), Surikarn (HB) Teemu Leino (XRay) and so on.  That’s without naming a stack of other strong contendors for an A-final appearance and who could conceivable go all the way.
All that said, I think Hara, Masami, Rheinard and Volker are the stand-out favourites.
Australia have a strong team in the form of Andrew Abbot, Peter & Steve Jovanovic, Simon Nicholson, Simon Feigl and others.  Nicholson (Corally) Peter (XRay) and Steve (Tamiya) have the potential to go into the top 30, while AE’s Abbott (of course an honorary Queenslander) is having a strong year, and has a great track record at RCS.
Here are a few sites where you can follow the action.  If you know of others, post a link in the comments below:

• Official WC Site
• Petit RC Coverage (french site translated to english by babelfish):
• Petit RC Photo gallery
• Red R/C (will be there, expect good coverage at this site)

Comments and Observations

• Wanna see the unglorious side of a pro-rc driver’s life? Check the photo in the Petit RC gallery of Hara glueing a mountain of tires for his HB team mates to use during the 12th scale worlds
• Big horsepower wars, with LRP, Speedpassion, KO/Orion, Futaba all bringing new/prototype ESC and motors to this event.  It’s a 6-cell NiMh event unlike many international events which have been 5-cell since the last worlds in Italy in 2006.  Some creative cooling strategies are already being reported (where ambient temps are likely in the high 30’s and track temps well into the 60c range
• Only a small team (I think 2) from the US this year – but both strong contenders in the form of Paul Lemiux and Rich Howhart
• Rumour has it that XRay’s newly announced 009 chassis will sport very specific modifications for the WC event to suit the particular high-traction and high-temperature conditions at RCS.  That’s reminiscent of Team Associated’s famous purpose build RC10 chassis’ used at WC events in the late 80’s and early 90’s and then never seen again